The Father
by coldqueen
Summary: Sequel to The Silence...a story about what happens when Shannon makes an odd connection between her father, Sawyer, and her. Chapter Seven uploaded SHAYID ROCKS!
1. Higgs

There was a storm coming in when Shannon reached the beach. The others were bustling about, hurrying to tie down things that needed to be tied down and making sure what little shelter they hadn't didn't get blown away.

Shannon didn't need to hurry to her shelter; she figured Sayid had already taken care of that. Less than a month ago, she and Sayid had decided to "live" together. They'd combined their shelters and had ended up with a tent-like structure. Their things were now completely intermingled, with no one the wiser where her part of the tent began and his ended. In reality it wasn't even thought of that way. It was _their_ shelter.

"Hey sticks? You seen Kate?"

Shannon turned to regard Sawyer, the self-proclaimed rake of the group. Unbeknownst to Sayid, right after she and he had got "together" Sawyer had made several comments. Extremely rude, and lewd comments. Shannon blacked his eye over them. Best moment of her life.

"Yeah, she's at the caves with Jack." Shannon stressed the word Jack, just to bother Sawyer.

"How about you keep me company tonight? I'm sure Mohammad won't mind. You can trust me."

Shannon controlled herself. It would do nobody any good to fight with Sawyer. That man had a stockpile of goodies and there was no telling when she or Sayid would need something. So she plastered a fake smile on her face and started to walk away.

"My daddy always told me never to trust a man who said to 'trust him'. So I don't. Ole Jack Frost never met a man he could trust." Shannon smiled at him genuinely over her shoulder but wasn't prepared for the rage on Sawyer's face when she did. Her steps faltered and she was about to ask what was wrong when he stormed over and grabbed her by the arm…hard.

Wrenching her arm around he pinned her to a tree. "Your daddy? Your daddy is 'Jack Frost'? The conman? I thought I recognized that face. Your daddy wouldn't happen to also be known as Higgs would he?"

Shannon paled and tried to remove her arm from Sawyer's grasp. He shook her. "Answer me!"

"I…I…"

* * *

(Flashback)

"Daddy?"

"Yeah, pumpkin?"

"When are we going home?" Shannon twisted in her seat to look at her father. It was late at night and the only illumination was a streetlight that was dim and flickered. Her father's face looked somehow harsher in the weak light. The shadows his high cheekbones cast gave him a sinister feel, while the lines at his eyes made him softer.

"After I talk to this boy we'll go home. I swear." Shannon's six-year-old mind knew it was a lie, but felt compelled to believe it anyways. They would never be going home. They had no home. Last week, Shannon and her father had left Mommy at home to go to the movies. Mommy hadn't been feeling well so they left her home. When they got back Shannon had ran upstairs to show her mommy the popcorn Shannon had saved her. Instead of the smiling woman she'd left, Shannon found the oh-so-still thing that was her mommy. After that men had come and taken her mommy, and Shannon had cried. She didn't understand why mommy had left, but Shannon knew she wasn't coming back. The next day, she and her father left their home and went for a drive. They hadn't stopped driving until just a few hours ago, and they had been sitting her since.

"I'm hungry."

"I know baby. We'll go eat in a few minutes." Shannon's father passed the back of his hand gently down the side of her face. Shannon had seen him use it many times with mommy, and knew it was his way of showing affection. "Daddy has to wait for this boy and then we'll go." Even as he said this a knock sounded at the window.

Shannon's father rolled it down so that whoever was outside could see in. "Are you Higgs?" A young voice asked.

"Are you Bobby?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'm Higgs. The job is next week, and you're a novice. I didn't like letting you in on this but I had no choice. Get in."

The boy started for the other side of the car but Shannon's father called him back. "Get in the back. My girl is in the front."

The boy grumbled. "You brought your girlfriend with you on a job."

Her father smiled and shook his head as the boy climbed in. "No, my daughter."

Shannon turned to look at the sixteen-year-old boy in the back seat. "Hi."

"Well, aren't you a cute little thing. What's your name?"

"Shannon. What about you?"

"Well, little darlin' you can call me Sawyer."

* * *

Dun-dun-DUN! The first chapter already! Are you seeing the connections…are you? For those of you who don't know me, this is the second in a series of stories. The first is "The Silence" and I suggest that you read it, but it's not entirely necessary. I love you my fans…and I hope you enjoy.

I would like to thank everyone who reviewed the first story I wrote, "The Silence". And this includes Jen, Solitaryfan, October Sky, Taylor 47, Oenone, A Bleeding Rose, artistgirl1727, and MariAmber. Thank you for reading and liking my story!


	2. The Mother

"I don't know what you're talking about. Let me the fuck go!" Shannon bucked against Sawyer's restraining hands and ran. She didn't know where she was running to, just far away from him.

Higgs. That was the name her father had always used when on a job. Shannon only knew this because before he'd married Boone's mother, she'd had to go with him. After that, he'd claimed they were business trips and left her behind. It wasn't the fact that Sawyer knew who her father really was that upset Shannon. She was upset because she knew something about Sawyer's past that was intermingled with her own.

Shannon stopped running and fell to her knees in the sand. The wind whistled through the trees overhead and Shannon could recall a time in her past, a time when her entire world had been rocked.

* * *

(Flashback)

"Does the kid know?"

"Who?"

"Bobby. Your little partner?"

Shannon's father takes a deep drag of his cigarette. He obviously doesn't know that Shannon is nearby; he never smokes around her. Her asthma and all prevents him. Despite all his faults, Shannon knows that her father loves her. He's simply trying to protect her.

"Ah, you mean 'Sawyer.'"

Both men laugh at the little joke, though Shannon has no idea what's so funny. So Bobby wanted to call himself "Sawyer", so what?

"So I take he doesn't realize that about ten years ago you were going by the name Sawyer?"

"Nope. I still don't know whyMickey put us together like this. It's like waiting for a bomb to go off."

The other man, a fellow con by the name of Billy, shrugged. "Ain't like the boy will remember much. He was only, what? Six?"

"I'm worried he'll see something in Shannon he shouldn't."

Shannon titters on the stair. _See something_? She thinks. _Like what?_

"Oh! You mean the fact that they share the same mother right?"

(End Flashback)

* * *

Shannon rises and starts toward her and Sayid's tent. She has no idea why Sawyer is so pissed at her father but she doesn't care. Her father's business was never an interest of her's. He had his thieving and she her revenge. She was done with all that.

"Sayid?"

"Over here!" Shannon follows the direction of his voice and finds Sayid in the middle of a flurrying paper trail. "The wind got into the tent and sent the maps flying. Help me."

Shannon picks up as many of the maps as she can and starts to put them back in the tent. She starts to go in when Sayid asks her a question.

"Where were you just now?"

"What?"

"Where were you?"

"Oh! I walked Claire back to the caves. She was too tired to carry Adrian so I carried it for her." Shannon put the papers down and put a rock on top. They didn't need them to go flying everywhere again.

"It that all?"

"Ummm…yeah? Why?"

"You looked a little upset. I was wondering if something was wrong." Sayid looked up at Shannon from where he knelt on the ground. He looked so cute that Shannon could not help herself from leaning over and placing a chaste kiss on his forehead.

"Stop worrying. I'm fine. So…what about this storm huh?" Sayid laughs at Shannon's obvious attempt to change the topic.

"It will be a big one. Some of the other people on the beach are heading to the caves. Do you want to go as well?"

"Why?"

"It will be more stable there. There is no telling how high the tide could come, or how fast the wind will get. It might be a good idea."

Shannon placed her hand on her brow to keep her hair from flying in her face as she looked out to sea. "Yeah, maybe it is a good idea. We can't leave all this here."

"We'll put it into the backpacks. No worries. Your clothes won't get left behind." Shannon turns to grin at Sayid.

"Stop teasing. Would you rather I run around naked?" Bad question Shannon thought as Sayid's eyes darkened almost imperceptibly. He immediately looked darker and more dangerous. Shannon smiled as he stepped close.

"Maybe, but only if I am the only one around." Sayid brushed a kiss over Shannon's bare shoulder and she was reminded that despite the fact that they had been sharing a shelter for a month, they still had not done "it."

"Well, I'm not doing either, so get over it." Shannon stooped to go into the tent and began to pack. She had to decide what to leave and to take, as most of the stuff wouldn't fit into the backpacks. After all, they only had her's and Sayid's.

"Are you almost ready? Everyone has gone to the caves already." Sayid said from outside the tent.

"Why did I have to do this alone? Some of this is your's, you know?"

Sayid laughed. "I had to help some of the others…unless you wanted to be the one to tell Hurley to leave behind his huge cache of fruit and CDs."

Shannon stood and picked up the two heavy backpacks and carried them outside. "Okay, I grabbed everything I thought we needed. And I figured everything else can be wrapped in the tarps and tied to a tree or something."

Sayid smiled. "Good idea." Together they untied the tarps and set about wrapping their things and tying them to a tree. By the time they finished the storm had arrived and everything was beginning to feel rushed and hectic.

"Let's go." Sayid yelled above the wind as he grabbed Shannon's hand and began to pull her away from the already rising tide. Even as they grabbed their things, a large lightning bolt flashed in the sky, before striking down to the ground scant feet from where they were standing. The tree it hit began to crackle and shake, before it started to tilt and fall…right towards them.


	3. Jungle Love

Sayid grabbed Shannon by her arm and together they fell back, away from the falling tree. Though for a few seconds Shannon thought she might have an asthma attack, she controlled her breathing and stopped it.

"That was close."

Sayid pulled Shannon to her feet. "That is an understatement. We should hurry."

"Yeah." They started into the woods, sidestepping the large roots of the struck down tree. Outside the jungle, the storm was wild, but inside was a different story. It was muted in there, with the wind whistling softly instead of harshly, and the rain only hitting them in a few sparse drops. The problem, though, was that the rain had puddled on the ground anyways and created a lengthy stretch of muddy, uneven ground.

"If I get mud on my dress I'm going to shoot you."

"Shannon, if you get mud on your dress…I will laugh." Sayid said with a smile. He took the lead, finding a path through the mess of rocks and mud, trying to make sure that there is no reason for Shannon to get mad. He'd seen enough of how she was to Boone when mad to know that he didn't want to be on the receiving end of it.

They made their way slowly, and even though the beaches were not far away, it was going to take a while. Sayid knew that coming up was a little hill and that in this weather it would be particularly slick. He stopped at the top and waited for Shannon to catch up. She got all the way to right behind him before slipping. "Ah!" She squealed as she grabbed his shoulders for balance. He turned and wrapped his arms around her waist so that she wouldn't go tumbling head over heels down the hill.

"Are you alright?"

Shannon sighed. "Yeah, but damnit! I got mud on my dress!" Shannon let go of his shoulders and pulled the hem of her already short skirt away from where it was plastered against her wet and shivering body. "See?"

Sayid's mouth was dry as cotton and all he could do was nod. He took the hem from Shannon's hand and laid it back against her wet thigh. He did not let it go however. Instead he used the back of his fingers to lightly rub the skin beneath the place where the mud had splattered.

"Shannon?"

Though she was lost to the sensation of his body heat warming her leg (and other places), Shannon stirred enough to look at him. "Huh?"

"There's no one around."

"Yeah, so…Oh!" Shannon grasped his meaning seconds after he said it. There was a very specific reason why he and Shannon hadn't been "intimate" yet. It seemed like at the beach there's was always someone nearby. For once, there was no one around.

* * *

(Flashback)

"Daddy?"

Shannon's father was about to shut the bedroom door but he came back in at his daughter's plaintive cry. "Yeah baby?"

"Did you love mommy?"

"Of course honey." Jack, Shannon's father, sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his large callused hand down the downy blonde hair.

Shannon hesitated, and then asked the question on her mind. "Then why didn't you tell Sawyer that my mommy is his mommy?"

"What? Where did you…How did you…you little eavesdropper you! Been listening at the door again?" Shannon nodded. "Honey, you can't tell Bobby who your mommy is ever. If you do then only bad things will happen. Got that?"

Shannon pouted. "But why?"

"When mommy decided to leave Bobby's daddy, he wasn't happy. Bobby's daddy tried to hurt mommy so she ran. But she couldn't bring Bobby with her. Later when we tried to go get Bobby, he was already gone."

"Where'd he go?"

"Bad people had taken him. His daddy's parents came and they got him."

"Gramma and Papa aren't mean."

"Not yours, babe, his grandparents. They didn't like mommy, and they wouldn't let us take him back. But you still can't tell Bobby any of this."

Shannon was sleepy, but she absolutely had to know. "Why?"

"He'd be angry with me. Do you want Bobby to be angry with me?"

"No…"

"Then we'll keep it to ourselves. Our own little secret."

(End Flashback)

* * *

Shannon didn't know it yet but these "little secrets" would keep popping up over the years. There were always things that Shannon knew that she wasn't supposed to tell. And there were always things she wasn't supposed to do. Make love to a handsome Middle Eastern man against a tree in the middle of a rain storm was probably one of them, but if it felt so right, how could it be wrong?

"Sayid!" Shannon moaned as she finally began to come down from the astronomical orgasm he'd just given her. Her back hurt from where the bark and bitten into it, and her shoulder twinged from where Sayid had bitten it, but at that moment none of that mattered.

"Shannon." Sayid whispered back, together they had sunk down to the soggy ground, and now were cuddling in the lessening rain.

"Wow."

"Yeah."

"Ow."

"Did I hurt you?" Sayid asked in a sudden attack of guilt.

"Hell yes, but it felt good. You can hurt me like that anytime. In fact, what are you doing in about five minutes?"

"Hopefully I will be drying off in a cave and holding you in my arms. Much as I'd like to stay and continue what we were doing, I do not want you to get sick." Even as he said this he was straightening himself up, though there wasn't much to straighten. They hadn't even gotten around to actually taking off their clothes.

"Another good point, Claire is probably worried."

"They might all be worried."

"Uh-huh." Shannon agreed even as she doubted it. They continued on to the caves, but both still hummed with the after-effects of their jungle-love. Shannon was sore (not that she would mention it), and Sayid was feeling guilty (though Lord knows why).

As soon as the cave fires came in sight, both breathed a sigh of relief. They could finally get away from each other to think about everything that'd just happened.

* * *

Welcome one and all to the sick pervy mind that is COLDQUEEN! 


	4. Apologies

Oenone, I'm sorry if it seemed graphic. I was actually trying to be NOT graphic. If I offended you, all apologies. Remember, if anything I write you don't like or is offensive, please tell me.

* * *

Shannon didn't really get why she was feeling bad. She listened with half an ear as Claire went on and on about basically nothing. She was just making idle chitchat. She had felt great after being with Sayid, but on the way back doubts began to rush in. Did he really care for her or was he, as Boone had implied more than once, using her? Had having sex ruined what little relationship they had?

"Shannon?"

"Huh?" Shannon jerked out of the semi-trance she'd been in and turned to Claire. In the fire's light she looked positively glowing. Shannon could scream.

"What's wrong? Ever since you got here an hour ago, both you and Sayid have been brooding. Did something happen?"

"You could say that. Where's Charlie?"

Claire rolled her eyes at Shannon's obvious attempt to change the subject. "He's over there with 'the boys' talking about something."

"What?"

"I don't know…guys things?"

"This was unnecessary. I told you months ago that if we were going to be stuck on this island then we were going to need more permanent structures," Sayid scolded the others.

"Well, we've all been busy. The raft, the attacks, and then that whole thing last month. There hasn't been time," Michael defended.

"We have the caves," Jack interjected before the two men could start arguing. "They'll work for now."

"For now, but they are not the best place to live, Jack. There's mold, and insects, and germs in there. It's unhealthy to live in the caves."

"Then what do you suggest we do, Muhammad?" Sawyer said walking slowly up behind them.

"I discussed with Michael a few months ago the possibility of building huts. We have plenty of material on the island."

"What about nails and hammers and stuff, dude?" Hurley asked, confused as to how this would be possible.

"We could use vines as rope and then we wouldn't need very many tools," Michael said. "We would have to find sturdy ground, and a lot of vines, as well as find something to make the walls from, but it could be done."

"And it needs to be. From what I've gathered we're somewhere in the southern hemisphere, close to the equator."

"So?" Charlie said from where he sat with Adrian, Claire's baby girl.

"We're entering the rainy season of this region."

"He's right. We're going to be heading right in to monsoon season with no protection. While some of the rains won't be this bad, most will," Locke stated matter-of-factly. "We do need some sort of shelter, and the caves aren't suitable. I recently, while on a hunt, saw a meadow. It's not far from the beach, nor from the caves. It's perfect."

"Good. Okay, we can talk about this tomorrow. It's late and we're tired. Get some sleep." Jack stated, rising to join Kate at a nearby fire. Sawyer watched them both with shuttered eyes. Mr. "I'm-Too-Tough-To-Admit-I-Like-Kate" was obviously hot for Kate and mad that it was Jack who "had" her.

"If you spoke with her, this situation might get better Sawyer."

"What you talking about?" Sawyer turned away from the oh-so-touching scene and stared hard at Sayid. Sayid had a feeling that Sawyer wanted to say something but wasn't about to.

"The situation with Kate. There is obviously some kind of tension between you two. You might as well speak with her about it."

"Yeah, yeah." Sawyer started to walk away, but turned back to Sayid at the last moment. "Tell Shannon I'm sorry for hurting her earlier. I was…startled."

Sayid stared hard at Sawyer, controlling the anger inside at the thought of the slick Southerner having his hands on Shannon. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing between you and me. Just tell Shannon, huh?" Sawyer smiled and walked off in the direction of where he had placed his things. Sayid turned and sought out Shannon with his eyes. She was talking with Claire and Charlie. She had baby Adrian on her lap and something inside Sayid tightened at the sight. Unbidden he thought things he had no right to think. He thought of Shannon ripe with his child, her large grin mirrored in a small tow-headed babe, of nights filled with her. Sayid shook those thoughts out of his head and looked at her harder.

On her arms were bruises. Bruises he'd thought he put there. It was a reason (not all the reason but part) that he'd backed off from her. He'd thought he'd hurt her and automatically guilt filled him. He was good at that, hurting the women he loved. The vicious possessiveness he felt for Shannon startled him. He was used to being calm, he'd always had to be. But Shannon brought out a side of him that Sayid hadn't known before. Every day he spent near her, every moment he was with her, made him want her even more.

Sayid started through the sleeping people. He needed to speak to Shannon before they went to sleep. Sayid stooped down and quietly asked that Shannon take a walk with him. She nodded and stood. He grasped her hand and began to pull her away from the caves. They definitely needed a talk.

* * *

(Flashback)

_**Bring, bring!**_

"Goddamnit! Is that my phone or my father's, Anita?" Shannon shouted as she ran down the hall. She barely heard the maid, Anita, mutter something about stupid Gringos before she grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Higgs?" Shannon froze. This was her father's phone. Damn, she was going to get her ass kicked. Shannon and always been told throughout her sixteen year old life to never, ever answer her father's phone. This was his **_business_** phone.

"No…ummm…he's not here. Can I take a message?"

"Tell him that Sawyer called. Who is this?"

"Shannon…" she blurted out before mentally smacking herself in the head. Good idea, Shan, tell him who answered the phone.

"Not little Shannon? Why girl, you must be all grown up by now!"

"Only sixteen." Shannon replied, relaxing a bit. "But I will be seventeen soon."

"Wow! Seventeen. You must be a beauty!"

"Well…yeah! Actually I am."

"That was to be expected, darlin'. You were a cute kid."

"I look like my mum…" _SHIT! No mommy talk, Shan, no mommy talk!_ "Ummm…well, I got to go."

"Bye, duchess." They hung up and Shannon slammed her hand against her chest as if to make her heart start to beat again. How strange that she had to be so distant with her half brother, but was forced to be friendly with her stepfamily. Shannon laid down her father's cell phone, and oh-so-briefly thought about joining Bobby (a.k.a. Sawyer) on the road. They could be thieves. Best friends, and siblings who looked out for one another.

Just as quickly she dismissed that thought. She didn't want to be a thief. She wanted to be a stewardess. No, maybe an actress. Shannon thought about that for a while, as she returned to her room and wrote an e-mail to her pen pal. Her pen pal was cool; she was doing time in jail though. But Kate sounded cool, even for a bank robber.

(End Flashback)

* * *

Sayid stopped underneath a large tree, so that they were moderately protected from the rain. He had much he wanted to talk about and he didn't want to be heard, so they were a little ways away from the camp.

"Shannon, what happened to your arms?"

Shannon looked down and for the first time she noticed her bruises. "Damn, when did that happen? I supposed when Sawyer…" Shannon looked up and caught Sayid's knowing look. "Okay, Sawyer and me had an argument. He grabbed me but I totally kicked his ass, so no problem."

"What were you arguing over?"

Shannon switched from foot to foot, not answering his question. "Shannon, what were you arguing about?"

"My father."

"Your father…?"

"Is a thief, Sawyer's partner, and a general all-around bastard."

Sayid is silent.

"Did I also mention that Sawyer and I have the same mother but he doesn't know? Damn, I'm tired…Bye!" Shannon whirled and started to walk away but Sayid grabbed her arm and brought her back to facing him. Unwittingly he'd grabbed her bruise and there was a grimace on her face when she looked at him.

"I'm sorry," he said letting go immediately. "About you and Sawyer…"

"You can't tell him. I promised I wouldn't tell anyone and now I told you. He can't know."

"Why is this so important to you?"

"I let my father down all the time. This is one of the few promises I've managed to keep for a long time. I don't want to fail him. Besides, it would only hurt him to know. He thinks that his mother died trying to protect him. Instead, she ran away and was unable to get him back. Think about what that could do to someone if they suddenly found out everything they know was a lie."

Sayid cradled Shannon's face in his hands. "I won't tell if you don't wish me to. You can trust me."

Shannon relaxed at his words. She realized that indeed, she could trust him. "So, why were you all broody when we got here?"

Sayid let go of her face and traced his hands down her arms to hold her hands. "I thought that I'd hurt you. I saw the bruises and shut down."

"Oh, Sayid! If you hurt me I assure you I enjoyed it."

Sayid smiled. "I know, but…it shocked me. To be so primitive is not what I am like. I had not wanted the first time we were intimate to be like that."

Shannon closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Oh? What did you picture?"

Sayid blushed. "Not that."

"Okay, next time we'll go slow."

"Next time?"

"Oh, definitely."


	5. Australia

When Shannon woke in the morning, Sayid wasn't by her side. Panicking she sat up only to find that he was a few feet away. He and Michael were deep in discussion about something and didn't notice when she stood up. Shannon stretched and decided impulsively to take a walk. Last night while she and Sayid had been walking she'd noticed some ripe looking fruit.

"Sayid?"

"Hmmm?"

"I'm going to get some fruit."

"Hmmm."

He'd ignored her. The old Shannon would have been pissed. The new Shannon wasn't. Okay, maybe a little. No girl likes to be ignored.

Shannon started to walk away, when Sayid's hand flashed lightning quick and grabbed her hand. He pulled her down and lightly kissed her lips. Shannon smiled broadly. He hadn't ignored her. "Be careful. There are some slick spots around. The rain may have stopped but it's still dangerous. Would you like me to accompany you?"

"Nah. I can handle myself." Shannon pulled her arm from Sayid's grasp and started towards the stand of trees she'd noticed the night before. On her way, she somehow picked up Claire, Sun, and Kate. Apparently all the men were discussing things because no one noticed that the girls were gone. Well, almost no one.

"Hey girls! Where ya goin'?" Sawyer's voice seemed unusually surly this morning. More often than not he was quite cheery, especially considering he had the best supply of coffee on the island.

"Fruit hunting," Kate replied. Shannon noticed that Kate didn't seem as rigid with Sawyer as she was with Jack. Shannon thought she knew why. With Jack, Kate had to be good. There weren't any mistakes allowed with Jack, you screwed up, you were on his shit list…or at least that was how Shannon saw it. When Kate was with Sawyer though, she sort of glowed. Like she didn't have to hide part of herself. Like she wasn't feeling bad about who she was. Shannon saw all this, but she saw something else as well. With Sawyer it was flirtation; with Jack it was love. Shannon recognized the guilt that only real love could make you feel. Sometimes when she was forced to tell Sayid of bad things she'd done in her past, she felt that guilt as well. It was only fate though that she would find love after a plane crash.

Shannon felt that fate had a cruel sense of humor when it came to her. It seemed like it was always fucking with her in some way or another.

* * *

(Flashback)

Shannon opened the door to her Australian flat and tossed her keys into the small tray on the side table. They made a loud, jarring clang that did nothing to help Shannon's headache. Her headache, however, had nothing to do with anything that had happened today. It had to do with what she was going to do tomorrow. Tomorrow was the day her latest scam of Boone was to begin. She'd already informed Brian of what was to happen and he was all on board. Now she just had to deal with this nasty knot of guilt in her head.

Shannon knew what would ease her mind though. Booting up her computer, Shannon eased down into the seat in front of the computer and logged onto her e-mail. Waiting for her was a message from Shannon's one confidante in the world, the one person she told everything to. Kate.

"Dear Shannon:

Things are…less than stable with me. I'm sorry it took so long to get back to you. Yes, you sound like you have a big problem. Maybe it's time to let your quest for revenge go? Or, if you want to continue, why don't you send a little money my way? A girl on the run could use it…LOL. But seriously. If this is hurting you so bad, let it go. Nothing is worth destroying yourself over. I should know. I've done it for years.

I'm in Australia. We've probably bumped into each other in the street and don't even know it. Tell me, my friend, how is it to walk so freely? I'm so tired of always looking over my shoulder. I can feel them closing in Shan. I'm scared.

I don't know when I'll be able to check my mail again, but know this. I love you, and whatever decision you make will be great. Trust your instincts.

Love,

Kate"

Shannon's instincts were all for joining Kate on the lam and never looking back. She wouldn't do that though. Shannon had responsibilities. Closing her account, Shannon decided to go out and have a drink. Lord, knows she'd need it.

Driving to an out of the way bar, Shannon crawled into one of the many empty parking spaces. It was the middle of the day, so the desertedness was to be expected. Walking into the dark, smoky bar, Shannon found a stool and ordered a drink. Scotch, a real woman's drink.

Despite her resolve not to chicken out, Shannon still felt the doubts. This was going to be a bigger scam than usual. Brian was going to ask for more. His idea, not her's. Not only that, but Shannon had a bad feeling. Not her usual "I'm going to hell" bad feelings, but genuine foreboding feelings. Something was coming. She felt it.

Just then the door slammed open and in walked a surly, broad-shouldered man. He had chin-length sandy hair, and a bad turn to his eyes. Something about him was familiar. He sat next to one of the few other patrons and ordered a beer. Though they were too far away to hear, Shannon could tell that the two men were talking. While the younger one screamed ex-con, the older man was definitely rich. Good posture, nice teeth, and an unhealthy glow to his cheeks. Make that a rich, self-deprecating gentleman. Shannon studied the younger man harder and with a jolt realized who it was. It was Bobby, (aka Sawyer!) her brother made flesh.

Shannon turned away so that he wouldn't see her and felt a spurt of panic. What was he doing here? In this bar of all places! Shannon knew she should have stayed home. She had a perfectly good bottle of gin there. She cursed herself for thinking of coming here. Why…why? WHY?

Shannon took a large gulp of her drink and turned to leave. She walked slowly by the two men, who were by now deep in conversation. As she walked by neither gave her any attention. At the last second, Shannon turned and walked swiftly to the restroom. Once inside she began to hyperventilate. She couldn't breathe. She grasped through her purse for her breather and with great relief sucked in her medicine. It took a few minutes, but she managed to calm down.

Shannon decided then and there, in the middle of a stank, nauseating restroom that this was a sign. She was going to tell Sawyer once and for all. He had a right to know, right?

But when Shannon came out of the bathroom he was gone. So was the man he was talking to. All that they'd left behind was an ashtray full of butts and glasses half empty. Shannon guessed that it just wasn't fated. She'd get over it, or so she told herself.

(End Flashback)

* * *

Shannon turned away from the flirting couple and looked at Claire. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Yes, something is. Tell auntie Shannon what's wrong."

Claire lowered herself to a fallen tree and sighed. "Charlie. He's so nice and sweet, and I like him, but…"

"He won't make a move?"

"Yes!"

"It's because you're pregnant." Claire glares at Shannon. "No! Not because you're…well…" Shannon makes a gesture in front of her, moving her hands down as if around a large bump. "…fat, it's that he's awkward. He doesn't know how to approach you."

"And how do you know all this?" Kate asked from where she had joined the conversation.

"You can see it."

"How?" Sun asks, now in on the conversation as well. Sawyer had disappeared, fearing the girl talk that was coming.

"When he helps her sit down, or when he gets her something to drink. Or even when she's bending over and he's looking down her top."

"What? He doesn't…"

"He does!" The other girls shouted, before they all cracked up.

"So, you think he likes me?"

Shannon sat down beside Claire and hugged her with one arm. "Yep. Might as well get over it. He's like a puppy dog, he's never going to leave now."

"That might not be so bad," Sun said as she reached overhead to grab some fruit.

Shannon immediately felt bad for saying what she did. It was unkind to remind Sun that her husband had left her…or at least as much as he could. He'd moved to the beach, and had left Sun behind. Of course everyone on the beach and at the caves had noticed. No one had said anything though.

"What do you say we take a swim? We passed that pond a few yards back and it's looking mighty inviting in this weather." Kate said. She was right. Despite the fact that the storm had ended only hours ago, the air was already hot and humid as the midday sun rose.

"I completely agree. Let's swim." Claire stood up and stretched.

Shannon decided that none of them had thought of the most obvious problem. "We have no swimsuits."

Kate grinned. "Who needs 'em?"

Shannon grinned back. "What a good point!"

* * *

Haha! Great chapter, if I do say so myself. Dude, Oenone, I was just touchy that day. I was taking everything a little too seriously. But I want everyone to know that if they disagree with anything don't hesitate to tell me. 


	6. Skinny Dipping

The girls dove in, resplendent in all their naked glory. While Sun and Shannon had a water fight, Kate stayed near shore with Claire.

"Do you think it's okay to put her in the water?"

"Adrian will be fine. Just make sure you hold her up." Kate demonstrated. She stood in about four feet of water, and held Adrian in the water. The beautiful child kicked her legs and laughed when she saw what happened. Claire tentatively walked into the water and let out a high squeal the second she touched it.

"It's cold!"

"So?" Shannon and Sun yelled from where they still frolicked.

"Well…it's cold!"

Suddenly Shannon had an idea. She leaned over and whispered in Sun's ear. Together, grinning in a conspiring way, they began to swim towards Claire. For all her intelligence, Claire did not see them. Like sharks, they attacked swiftly.

"Ahhhh! What the hell is wrong with y'all?" Claire shouted as Shannon and Sun began to pull Claire into the, indeed, cold water.

"Nothing. Just wanted you to have fun." Shannon said as she pulled with exertion. The pretty Australian was beginning to resist.

"Claire, we are only helping," Sun added in her halting English. Even in the middle of this melee she was calm.

"What you're doing is getting me bloody cold!"

"Not for long!" Shannon said as they finally reached the deep end. Jumping on top of Claire, Shannon dragged the girl down under the water. At the shallow end, Kate laughed.

Coming up for air, Claire was cursing. "You stupid, goddamned American! And Sun! You too?"

Sun and Shannon, for their part, could not stop laughing. They were laughing so hard in fact that they could barely swim. Together they started a water fight and managed to make Claire forget about how cold the water was. At the shore, Kate played with Adrian, opting to not join the other girls. Kate loved children. And sometimes she thought that maybe here, on this island, with a certain someone, she might have one.

Speaking of a certain someone. From out of the bushes, painfully oblivious to the scene in front of them walked Jack and Sayid. Needless to say that when they saw what was going on they froze.

"I…uh…sorry!" They both stammered and turned away. This caused the girls to laugh, and the boys to blush horribly.

While Sun and Claire ran for their clothes, Kate and Shannon just lounged where they were. Kate handed Adrian to the newly clothed Claire and reached for her shirt. It covered all her less polite parts so she figured it was fine. "Umm, Jack? Could I talk to you?"

Jack looked over his shoulder at Kate and couldn't find his voice to say something. Taking this as an affirmative, Kate grasped his hand and pulled him into the jungle. Sun and Claire had already disappeared, leaving Sayid and Shannon alone.

"Skinny dipping?" Sayid asked as he took the opportunity to study Shannon's body. He was obviously pleased with what he saw.

Shannon turned to give him her back. "Stop looking!"

"Are you blushing?" Sayid asked, it sounded muffled like he was doing something.

"Yes. So…Sayid?" He wasn't answering. Shannon was about to turn when she heard a splash. Looking, Shannon saw that Sayid had decided to join her for a dip. She looked in the water but couldn't see him. "Sayid? Sayid?"

From the water, a pair of hands wrapped around her legs and pulled her under. Sputtering, Shannon floundered. She was rescued from drowning by Sayid. HE pulled her close and held them both up in the water.

"Sometimes you're mean!"

"Aww, let me make it up to you." From the look in his eyes, Shannon thought she would enjoy making up with him.

* * *

(Flashback)

Boone was still knocked out, and Shannon was getting tired of just sitting here. Beside the hotel bed, Boone's cell phone began to ring. Shannon answered it without thinking.

"Hello?"

"Let me speak to…Is this Shannon?"

"Elizabeth. How nice to speak to you." Shannon forced her tone to be civil.

"Yes, you too. Is Boone there?"

Shannon spared a glance for the half-naked figure on the bed. "No, he's not."

"Shannon, it's about your father."

Shannon sat up higher. "What about him?"

"There's been an accident. A train hit his car. He died instantly."

Shannon forced herself to not scream. "Dead?"

Impatience filled Elizabeth's, Boone's mother, voice. "Yes. You and Boone will return to L.A. immediately."

"L.A.?"

"Yes. I'd heard that Boone had gone to rescue you again Shannon? What was it now? Bad boyfriend? House problem? Were you just broke again?"

Shannon held her tongue, knowing that to speak out of place with this bitch would ruin everything. She'd forbid Boone from 'helping' Shannon, and being a mother's boy he would listen. "I think that is none of your business."

"It is my business. He's my son, and you…well, you are the illegimate child of my husband. Work it out and get here. I'm no longer going to allow you to ruin your life. I'm in control Shannon. Get used to it." The bitch hung up and Shannon's hand shook as she closed the cell phone. There was no way in hell she was going to be puppet to Elizabeth's master. She would rather be on a deserted island than with that bitch.

(End Flashback)

* * *

"If I drown, I'm going to come back and haunt you."

"You won't drown Shannon. Trust me."

"I trust you but…ohhh…do that again…"

* * *

Second to last chapter is next!

Next Chapter: Back To The Beach


	7. The Others

They watched, and they waited. Their patience was infinite. They had waited for many years for this very event to happen. Newcomers to the island. Female newcomers. Danielle was lost to them, but these females were not. This entire mentality, the need to posses all females was a result of the virus.

Within months of their entrapment on this island it had begun to infect them. It started with little things. Possessiveness over small things. Then it got bigger. The men became more violent, less…human. Danielle saw what was happening before the sole other woman did. She tried to help but it was of no use. The men had already been infected.

Over the years, they've grown worse. Now, they are only human in the way they look. Even that is a lie though. They are not human. Not at all, not a little bit. The creatures watched the people crowd around the fires in the night. Soon it would be daylight, and they would have to leave. The creatures could be seen. One of the creatures lifted his nose and sniffed. It was time to go. She called to them.

* * *

Shannon stirred in her sleep, turning to Sayid in the early morning light. It was cold, a shocking contrast to the heat of the day before. In a few hours, most of the islanders would be returning to the beach. Shannon felt as if she'd only just fell asleep, though she knew that it had been hours.

The night before, she and Sayid had returned to find things…tweaked a bit. Claire seemed to have taken her advice to heart and had been doing her damndest to get Charlie to kiss her. Sun had given up trying to talk with Jin and was being comforted by Michael. Jack and Kate were canoodling in a corner, causing Sawyer to glare horribly. Shannon smiled at the last couple. Jack really was better for Kate than her half-brother was. Sawyer was much too broody to be a good match with Kate.

She and Sayid had lain down soon after that. They were both tired from all the "playing" they'd done. She'd curled into his arms, and he'd held her. She'd felt safe. Then she'd heard it. Whispering, in the forest. They were speaking to her.

Shannon had sat up, jarring Sayid into waking. "What's wrong?" He'd asked groggily.

"Did you hear it?"

"What?"

"Whispering."

That woke him up. "What?"

"Whispering. I thought I heard whispering."

Worry crossed his face, causing a wrinkle to form in his brow. "Are you sure?"

"No, but I could have sworn…"

"It's alright. Lay back down. It was the wind." Neither of them believed that, but Shannon did as he bade her. Pulling her close, Sayid lovingly smoothed her hair back from her face. "I'm thinking that our having a hut is a good idea, Shannon."

Shannon welcomed the change of subject. "Why?"

"So we do not have to keep going into the forest to be together."

"We're together now."

"I mean…" Sayid leans down and whispers in Shannon's ear.

"Oh! Yeah, that would be good to do whenever we want."

It was only hours later that Shannon realized that she liked that idea. Of being with Sayid. Shannon had looked at physical love as usable as best all her life. It'd never been the big, sentimental thing it'd been for other girls. She'd lost her virginity at sixteen and never looked back. She'd neither looked forward to nor detested the act. It simply was a fact of life, or it had been before Sayid. Now, she yearned for him. She saw him and wanted to be with him all the time. There was an actual mental and physical connection there.

"Are you ready?"

Shannon looked into Sayid's eyes from where he was reaching down to help her up. "Yeah, let's go home."

"Home?"

Shannon smiled. "It fits."

Together, with the new couple Claire and Charlie at their side, they began to walk to the beach. Most of the others were already there, trying to see what the damage to the things on shore was. Most of everything not tied down was gone.

Shannon dumped her heavy book bag on the sand and sighed. "Welcome home, everybody."

"It's not that bad, Shannon. At least our stuff is okay. A little moist, but okay," Sayid told her as he untied their bag from a tree.

"Whoa, blokes! The storm knocked down a tree!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Yeah, and it almost hit us too."

"What? Whoa."

Shannon smiled. "Now we're going to use it to start building huts, right?"

Sayid turned. "How'd you know that?"

"I'm not deaf and neither is anyone else. The gossip mill is very good on this island, babe."

"Apparently."

Shannon started to search through her bag, looking for her sunblock. "Damnit."

"What's wrong?"

"I forgot my sun block. Want to go back to the caves with me?" Shannon asked Claire.

"Sure. Charlie, watch Adrian for me?"

"Right-o," Charlie nodded. He loved Adrian. The little pip was fricking adorable.

Claire and Shannon started through the forest. They were almost to the caves when Shannon heard it again. Whispering. This time she wasn't the only one.

"Did you hear that?"

"Yeah. You heard it too?"

"Claire, obviously I heard it."

"Right."

They stood frozen, as the whispering got louder. They finally realized it was because the whisperers were coming closer, but by then it was too late. They were attacked from all sides and within seconds subdued. Now all the creatures had to do was wait for the others to come for them.

* * *

"They're still not back. I'm worried."

"Charlie, I am sure they're fine." Sayid reassured Charlie even as he began to worry. The girls had been gone for quite a while. Unconsciously Sayid recalled a similar time not too long ago when Shannon had gone missing. She'd been kidnapped by Danielle and forced to make a trek through the jungle. When they'd reached their destination, a house high in the mountains, Danielle had started to tell Shannon about something of dire importance but hadn't had the chance. Danielle had been shot and killed. When they'd arrived as the rescue cavalry Shannon had already buried Danielle and been about to start back. It had been that event which had spurred Sayid to jumpstart his relationship with Shannon and give it the push it so needed.

"Sayid! Charlie! Have you seen Kate or Sun?" A frantic Jack asked as he surprised both men by running up on them from behind.

"No."

"Damn. Look, something's up. Kate and Sun were supposed to be at the grove and they're not. A couple other women are gone too and no one knows where they've gone. They were there one second and gone the next."

"Shannon and Claire are gone as well," Sayid spoke calmly though he was anything but.

"Shit."

"Yeah. Alright, gather up some of the others. We'll go out and look around before it gets dark. Hopefully, they all just decided to do some girl bonding or whatever."

Before any of them could even start to move, Michael ran up holding a bloody shirt in his hand. All three men stared at it in horror.

"It's Sawyer's. There was a lot of scuffle marks and stuff and no one can find him," Michael panted as he handed the shirt to Jack.

"Okay, so now there is a total of ten missing, nine girls and Sawyer."

Sayid considered what they knew and came to the same conclusion as everyone else. "Someone's taken them."

"Yep."

* * *

When Shannon woke, she was first aware of crying. Someone nearby was balling there eyes out while someone else struggled to calm them.

"Hey sticks. Wake up."

"Sawyer?"

"Yeah?" Shannon tried to push herself up but realized that her hands were tied together.

"What's going on?"

"We've been taken."

"Huh?"

"By the 'others' Locke is always talking about." Shannon tried to pay attention but her mind was a fog.

"Others?"

"Yeah, princess. We've been captured by the enemy."

"Enemy?"

"Them." Sawyer nodded to behind her.

Shannon turned her head as much as she could and was confronted with the sight of a man-creature thing. It had the look of a man, but it's eyes were horribly bloodshot and it's mannerisms were that of an animal. It walked low to the ground and didn't seem to be able to speak. They, there were about six she could see, were all making grunting noises and gesturing with their arms.

"What's happening?"

"No idea."

"Great." Shannon blew her hair out of her eyes as she finally cleared her mind enough to study the cell-like structure she was in. The girl crying was one of the survivors, specifically the one who would give her bad looks when she walked by. Comforting her was Kate. Glancing at those around her Shannon saw that most were women. Claire, Sun, Rose, and others were all here.

Outside the cage, a commotion was forming. The man-creatures were stirring and more were showing up. One in particular, walking talk and confidently, came to the cage and pointed at Shannon. "You, come here."

Shannon stared at the others and felt fear shake her limbs. She was frozen and could not move.

"NOW!" He screamed. Shannon could do nothing but obey.

(To Be Continued)

* * *

HAHA! This is the end of this story…but look forward to part two…"The Mother"…coming to a computer to you in about…oh…two weeks…(Spring Break!) 


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